# Install GitHub MCP Server in Copilot CLI
## Prerequisites
1. Copilot CLI installed (see [official Copilot CLI documentation](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/about-copilot-cli))
2. [GitHub Personal Access Token](https://github.com/settings/personal-access-tokens/new) with appropriate scopes
3. For local installation: [Docker](https://www.docker.com/) installed and running
<details>
<summary><b>Storing Your PAT Securely</b></summary>
<br>
To set your PAT as an environment variable:
```bash
# Add to your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.)
export GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_token_here
```
</details>
## GitHub MCP Server Configuration
You can configure the GitHub MCP server in Copilot CLI using either the interactive command or by manually editing the configuration file.
### Method 1: Interactive Setup (Recommended)
Use the Copilot CLI to interactively add the MCP server:
```bash
/mcp add
```
Follow the prompts to configure the GitHub MCP server.
### Method 2: Manual Configuration
Create or edit the configuration file `~/.copilot/mcp-config.json` and add one of the following configurations:
#### Remote Server
Connect to the hosted MCP server:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"github": {
"url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer ${GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN}"
}
}
}
}
```
#### Local Docker
With Docker running, you can run the GitHub MCP server in a container:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"github": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"-e",
"GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
"ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN}"
}
}
}
}
```
#### Binary
You can download the latest binary release from the [GitHub releases page](https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server/releases) or build it from source by running `go build -o github-mcp-server ./cmd/github-mcp-server`.
Then, replacing `/path/to/binary` with the actual path to your binary, configure Copilot CLI with:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"github": {
"command": "/path/to/binary",
"args": ["stdio"],
"env": {
"GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN}"
}
}
}
}
```
## Verification
To verify that the GitHub MCP server has been configured:
1. Start or restart Copilot CLI
2. The GitHub tools should be available for use in your conversations
## Troubleshooting
### Local Server Issues
- **Docker errors**: Ensure Docker Desktop is running
```bash
docker --version
```
- **Image pull failures**: Try `docker logout ghcr.io` then retry
- **Docker not found**: Install Docker Desktop and ensure it's running
### Authentication Issues
- **Invalid PAT**: Verify your GitHub PAT has correct scopes:
- `repo` - Repository operations
- `read:packages` - Docker image access (if using Docker)
- **Token expired**: Generate a new GitHub PAT
### Configuration Issues
- **Invalid JSON**: Validate your configuration:
```bash
cat ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json | jq .
```
## References
- [Copilot CLI Documentation](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/about-copilot-cli)
